Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Dinner Aria Hartwell

Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Dinner Aria Hartwell
Chapter 49
Dinner
Aria Hartwell

Ethan took me to a restaurant's rooftop that I'd never been before, after blowing off Cassian's request to meet in his office. I had decided what my priorities were, and it wasn't to be at the beck and call of Cassian just because he was my co-CEO.

I had even stopped to ask myself when I had started liking him when I hated him for years, or was I always lying to myself all these while?

"You look... distracted. Is everything okay? Are you comfortable here, or do we have to go back?" Ethan asked from the side, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I also had to ask myself what I was doing with Ethan. At first, he was some guy I used to blow off steam with, and now... he was like a constant in my life for the past few weeks, and not to mention the amount of money he poured into my father's company.

"No, I'm fine." I smiled and shook my head, taking in the view of the city. "It's really beautiful and breathtaking here, but I wonder why I've never seen or taken note of it." I took out my phone to show him. "It doesn't have a sign, or even a website where people can leave their experiences and reviews."

He grinned cheekily at that, and I couldn't help but notice how strikingly handsome he was. Not better looking than Cassian, though, it was just his charisma and charm that was infectious.

"So, what do you think about it so far? What experience do you have that you would like to—"

"First of all," I cut him off and held a finger, still trying to steady my breathing. "I will give it a zero for the four flights of stairs that I had to climb. My legs are literally burning, Ethan. Do you want to kill me? You could have warned me about it."

His grin grew wider. "You wouldn't have come if I told you."

"What about your helicopter? We would've landed on the helipad..."

"It would beat the experience..." He still wasn't seeing anything wrong with it. "Besides, you needed the exercise. You've been cooped all week doing one or two things that concern the office. So... This would be the perfect grounding opportunity for you." Then, he leaned in, "But I will still take your review into consideration and build an elevator specially for you."

That's when it hit me. This was his very own restaurant?

"You..." I didn't know the next words to say because he places a finger on my lips and drew out a chair for me to sit.

"It doesn't matter. Tonight's going to be all about you."

I watched the string lights, metal tables, and candles flickering in jars. It was so beautiful. The aesthetics that was put into this was well thought of. The city spread out below us, all those lights, and all I could think about at this point was Cassian. Going out on a date with him, but then I remembered Laila...

"You're thinking about him again," Ethan said quietly, as his smile began to slowly disappear from his face.

That caught my attention. "How do you know?"

"Because your hands are in fists." He pulled his own chair. "I know he can be bossy, but can you sit, eat, and try not to think about it for an hour?"

"That's not how thinking works."

"No. But it's how pasta works."

And just before his last sentence could breathe, a waiter appeared and Ethan ordered without looking at the menu. Red wine, Two salads, and Pasta with shrimp.

"You know the menu like the back of your hand." I cheered to that. "How often do you bring your dates around?"

He looked at me for a while before responding. "Well, tomorrow will be the first day that I will be opening the restaurant up to the public... And tonight is the first time I've brought anyone apart from my workers here." He poured another glass of wine for me. "Tonight I'm having dinner with you."

I took a sip. The wine was good. Everything was good. That was the point, I realized. He chose this place because he wanted me to feel something other than grief.

"You're staring," I said.

"You're worth staring at."

"That's cheesy."

"I know." He smiled. "But you almost smiled. So it worked."

I giggled and looked away before responding...

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

"Anything."

"Why did you really buy into Hartwell Industries?"

He set down his wine glass and took a breath.

"Because I saw you on the news. After your father died." He looked at me. "You gave this press conference. You were shaking, but you didn't cry. You just stood there and told the world you weren't going anywhere."

"That's not—"

"That's the truth." He leaned forward. "I wanted to know you. That's all. I had the money and the time and I wanted to know how you were able to do it. Just... Being strong and all in the midst of all the godforsaken board members your company has. Forgive me that I didn't call at first, I know I'm a terrible person when it comes to building friendships."

I laughed heartily at that, the thought of Cassian temporarily forgotten. "You're really cheesy, believe me."

Right now, I felt like a silly little girl who felt nothing but warmth in this moment. But I quickly caught myself and waited for the waiter to drop the food on the table. Steam rose between us as I picked up my fork.

"You're doing it again," he said.

"Doing what?"

"Looking at me like you're trying to figure out the catch."

"Maybe there is a catch."

"Maybe." He took a bite, chewing slowly before swallowing. "Or maybe I'm just a guy having dinner with a woman he likes."

"Likes?"

"Likes." He smiled. "For now."

I ate my pasta. It was good. Really good.

"This doesn't mean I trust you," I pointed my fork at him.

"I know."

"This doesn't mean anything."

"Okay."

"I'm just... hungry."

He laughed. It was warm. Real. And I stopped myself from doubting this very moment. Maybe I deserved something sweet and nice after all, not toxic like Cassian.

"Then eat," he picked up his fork to begin feeding me, and I let him.

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